Since antiquity, art has developed a tradition of depicting melancholic figures. In the painted portraits of Aleksandra Beļcova, this tradition acquires an individual nuance. The vicissitudes of the artist’s life, her long-term illness with tuberculosis, and to some extent her inclination toward introversion shaped an approach to portraying figures that fits within the typology of “Melancholia imaginativa.” Both in her self-portraits and in portraits of others, Beļcova emphasized a mood of gentle sadness in moments of contemplation.
The exhibition offers a brief insight into the history of the concept of melancholy and the iconography of melancholic figures, presenting to visitors both previously unexhibited works by Aleksandra Beļcova and well-known portraits that, within the context of this theme, gain a new resonance.
